THE Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 1870.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 19, 23 March 1870, Page 4

THE Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 1870.

The approaching meeting of the Provincial Council claims the serious attention of the residents of this district. The revenue will be found to be, we believe, in a very promising condition, and the Estimates will probably be framed with unusual liberality. It is a matter of regret that what should be the local mouthpiece of the district should continue to be in a disorganised state, and prefer to indulge in personal contentions rather than in advancing

the interests of the community. Yet we never so much required some authority to communicate to Government and the local member the several wants and requirements of this district. This arises from the fact that Cromwell has not obtained that amount of attention in the past that it has deserved, or as Mr Pvke puts it in his correspondence as to the position of Cromwell, “ I do not mean Cromwell is irapor- “ tant now ; its greatness lies in the fu- “ ture.”- And the Government were only too glad to adopt the idea. A part of that greatness has, however, come to pass, and we are now in a position to appeal to the Council with a prestige that would lead to attention being paid to any representations made. Such being, then, the state of the case, we urge upon the people of the several parts of this district to communicate their wants without loss of time to the Government, and take care that the sitting member is furnished also with a schedule of them, with instructions to look after them. We cannot enumerate all the requirements of the district. The Nevis has been complaining, and asking for one or

two things lately; at tho Bendigo goldfield several works are required to be executed ; Cromwell is still without Government offices; and a portion of tho main road unmade, and so on. We do not see why a public,company that would supply the town with - water should not have a similar grant of interest guaranteed to it as the Dunedin Waterworks Company obtained. Besides those more local requirements, there are several subjects of general importance to consider. First in rank is the water supply question, and the Council will no doubt give considerable attention to the matter. A survey of the district, with datum pegs fixed here and there, showing levels, would, if nothing else could bo obtained at present, bo valuable in many

instances. An expression of opinion as to the several requirements of eaoh place becomes a subject of local consideration, and we should bo glad to see tho several portions of the district speaking out on tho subject. A system of prospecting yet requires to be initiated, but n6 sound plan has yet been adopted. The attention of

the Council might, however, be directed safely to tho subject; and they might bo asked to erect in this district a quartzcrushing machine, at which trial crushings from reefs could be made. It would not bo necessary always to keep in work such an incentive to prospecting, as when the time arrived that its useful career was over, it could easily be sold. They already have a machine, we believe, in Dunedin. Of course we only throw this out as a suggestion. The re-adjustment of the Electoral boundary, whereby tho district might obtain a member of its own, is a matter of considerable importance. The subject of the punts on the Kawarau, and the substitution of free punts or bridges, has occupied attention during the time that has elapsed since the last annual meeting of the Council. This district does not immediately suffer from ferry charges, which are necessarily heavy to remunerate the proprietors for their large outlay, and the case is more for the consideration of our Lake neighbours. We mention it here because the topic has been so frequently alluded to. We have thus glanced at a few of tho local

requirements and some of the more important of the general ones, and must leave the district generally to more fully supplement them. We have performed our duty in calling attention to the value of doing something promptly, and alluding to any defects of organisation or want of mouthpieces. We hope to see local bodies formed, and meetings held, and will give them every publicity and encouragement in our power. In a political sense, the meeting of the Council is no less opportune. Some way will be found to allude to the costly manner in which the war has been conducted in the North Island ; to the approaching meeting of the Assembly; to the necessity of repealing the Hundreds’ Act, so universally condemned ; and other subjects commented upon from time to time. The in-

creasing expenditure upon Dunedin projects and Dunedin buildings is an alarming matter; and upon all these subjects, as well as the obtaining a separate member, the district should express its views. The residents have apparently got accustomed to indulge in a kind of political “ Rip Van Winkle” sleep, but we must hope that now that they possess a credited organ such as the Arqus to make their views known, they will shake off the torpor, and, like honest colonists, hold opinions and take care to express them. We see no better occasion for eliciting something like a sense of the situation, than the customary meetings between the member and his constituents. Probably on the Hundreds Question Mr Fraser will be found to hold the unpopular view, which goes in for free selection and deferred payments under the Gold-fields Act. But that is no reason why such meetings should not be held. The member is due them to his constituency, and the value of such meetings is so well established that their necessity has become a political axiom. The space we can occupy in this portion of our columns will not allow us further to deal with so important a subject as this approaching meeting of the Provincial Council. We have, however, written enough to make ail who value their position in the distinct consider the very indifferent status they occupy, and consequently the indifferent consideration that has been given to their wants and requirements.